Holiday villages are growing in popularity with families who are looking for a laid back holiday where they can completely relax, but yet have the all the facilities of a large resort at their fingertips. In the UK villages are open year round, and are as popular for a winter getaway as for a summer holiday.
One of the largest brands of holiday villages in Europe is Center Parcs. Apart from their centres in the UK they have sites in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. In the late 1960s a Dutch entrepreneur bought some woodland in the south of the country and started the first holiday village using tents. He soon changed these for bungalows and the Center Parcs brand as we know it today had started.
Center Parcs now have four holiday villages in the UK in Cumbria, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Wiltshire, plus one more under development in Bedfordshire. Each village is located in woodland sites of up to 400 acres, and are particularly marketed to appeal to families with young children. The main ethos of the villages is to provide a relaxing forest holiday for visitors. Cars are not allowed on site and visitors leave their vehicles in large car parks by the exit after unloading their suitcases. Bikes are the encouraged form of transport around the site, and there are hire facilities for people who have not bought their own bikes with them. The villas are grouped in small clusters and are all low-rise so as to blend in perfectly with the forest environment.
The main attraction at a Center Parcs holiday village is the huge swimming area, marketed as a sub tropical paradise. The swimming area is housed in a massive glass roofed area, and there are separate areas for toddlers, children and adults. They have high adrenaline slides and flumes as well as smaller slides and wave machines for younger guests. There is plenty to keep guests occupied for several hours, and numerous places to sit and relax. All visitors to the holiday village get free access to the swimming facilities throughout their stay.
Apart from the swimming, there are dozens of other activities on offer. These can include pony trekking, archery, tennis, abseiling, kayaking, and windsurfing. Guests will be charged extra to participate in these activities, which can soon mount up to a considerable sum for a family wanting to be busy every day. Most sites also have a spa offering the full range of beauty treatments and the opportunity to relax completely and be pampered. As the site itself is so large, there are also free bike and nature trails through the forest or guided tours with one of the ranger staff.
The main area of the holiday village is packed with restaurants, cafes and bars, providing plenty of options for dining. There is also a supermarket on site, and as all villas have full cooking facilities many visitors take their own food and self cater. A selection of gift and craft shops also offers the chance to pick up a souvenir of your stay.
Being located in the middle of the Aegean Sea, the Island of Rhodes is one of the beautiful islands of Dodecanese complex. With the increasing number of tourists visiting this place every year, it has become a center of tourist attractions. Despite of gender, age or taste; a large number of tourists come here and enjoy its splendid beauty. The island is rich in tourist attractions, hence, it provides lots of opportunities to make you enjoy the best Rhodes holidays of your life.
From a pleasurable family holiday to the all-inclusive beach holidays, from a lavish stay in luxury hotels to cozy stay in a cheap apartment, Rhodes has a lot to offer for an ideal holiday package.
Rhodes offers many sightseeing opportunities to its guests but the most cherishable moments are its festivals. Being able to attend the festivals of Rhodes will add more charm to your Rhodes holidays. Below are the top three festivals that one should not miss to see in Rhodes.
Ecofilms Festival:
Ecofilms festival is the most captivating festival of Rhodes. A large number of art lovers come across from borders to participate in this festival. They exhibit their talent and receive appreciation in return. This festival includes short films, long films and documentaries. The topics of documentaries are very interesting. One should not forget to see the Ecofilms festival during Rhodes holidays.
Medieval Town Carnival:
Carnivals are the way to cherish your mood and to stay away from the tensions of life. The island of Rhodes offers its guests with a colorful and exciting carnival in the medieval town. The medieval town carnival lasts for a week. Many games are played in it. Activities such as parade, hand tricks, bike race, pram race, sea boot race, stilt walking and other events are really exciting and become a pleasurable moments of Rhodes holidays. This festival is not limited to any specific age group and you can enjoy it alone as well as with your family or friends.
Medieval Rose Festival:
Medieval rose festival explicit the cultural values of Rhodes. It is one of the most fascinating festivals that take place every year within the medieval walls of Old town Rhodes. This festival attracts tourists of all ages and tastes. The festival comprises of a number of events including the chase of dragon whereby both children and adults enjoy playing adventurous games, solving puzzles and riddles etc. Informative presentations, seminars, tours, medieval symposium etc are also the part of festival. Participants wear costumes of knights, fairies, witches, oriental dancers, gamers and alchemists etc. Everyone who participates in the festival tries his best to entertain the visitors.
A wide means of transportation including buses and cars can be availed to visit different parts of Island Rhodes and see their cultural events and festivals. Moreover, the hotels, apartments and studios of Rhodes promises relaxing holidays, catering for all styles and budgets.
Island Rhodes is blessed with lots of attractions that captivate a large number of tourists towards it every year. No matter you are young, kid or old; the beautiful island of Rhodes will offer everything to make your Rhodes holidays a memorable experience of life that will be recalled with great joy.
If you are planning for a getaway to a beautiful island in the Mediterranean, then Cyprus is a fantastic choice. This country, which is advantageously situated in the junctures of Asia, Africa and Europe, is renowned for its mixture of its mythical story of Aphrodite, culture, interesting history, fantastic sunny days, and beautiful beaches.
Cyprus, being in the Mediterranean, caters to various types of tourists as a destination and offers a wide array of activities, sights and experiences. It is a great place for romance, adventure, and especially for a family vacation. The island of Aphrodite as it is known, is a perfect paradise for romantic celebrations such as weddings, honeymoons, marriage proposals, and wedding anniversaries. A traveler more inclined to fun and adventure would also surely love this little island with great mountain spots for hiking during sunny days, all year round natural rambling routes, waterskiing, cycling and mountain biking as well assnow skiing in winter time. The all year round mild climate means that all these activities are available all year round. In most of the seaside towns such as Limassol, Paphos or Larnaca, visitors can go for some sailing, hiking, and fishing.
For a family vacation, Cyprus has always been a favourite holiday spot. A family can enjoy days out swimming at the beach, walking along stunning shore lines, dining together to in family friendly restaurants serving Cypriot cuisine coupled with its famous wine produced by its picturesque wine-making villages.Protaras also offers a variety of great spots where the entire family can have a fun time in theme parks, beautiful beaches, and appreciate cuisine from all corners of the world as well as Cypriotrestaurants.
Among the many wonderful tourist attractions in Cyprus here are some of the much loved places and are worth visiting:
The Paphos mosaics it is famous for its complex Roman mosaics which were encountered during the 1960s. Paphos Harbour and Castle multicolored fishing boats in the harbor at Paphos are a terrific sight to behold. The 1390s castle that the Venetians destroyed later became a dungeon and then a salt storehouse later on. Ayia Napa is attracting a sizeable number of tourists and offers impressive water sports amenities and a variety of activities for youngsters and adults. You can enjoy relaxing on the beautiful white sandy beaches with family or enjoy the large number of excellent dance clubs and top DJs on offer every night near the village square. Protaras one of the most stunning resorts on the island with white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Protaras offers family friendly fun with nearby water parks, activities and an excellent array of restaurants. Fig Tree Bay is one of most popular sandy beaches of Protaras and took its name from the many fig trees across the beach planted many years ago. You can enjoy swimming in the sparkling clear waters of the sea or you can try one of the many water sports on offer. Profitis Elias is another highly recommended place to visit when enjoying your villa holidays in Cyprus. Profitis Elias is a church in Protaras, located on the top of a hill at 115 metres height and is aged centuries back. Once you climb the 156 steps to the church, you can enjoy spectacular views of the whole town of Protaras and the Cape called Cavo Greco, a stunning natural picturesque landscape. Protaras is also known for its wonderful walking trails. Families will also enjoy the spectacular show of the “Magic Dancing Waters” in the centre of Protaras square. Here you can watch colorful combinations of waters literally dancing to the rhythm of “Zorbas” a unique experience for holidays in Protaras.
In making holiday plans, we all take a lot of things into consideration. And almost as always, it has something to do with the timing and means of getting the cheapest airfare, hotel accommodations, and travel packages. Studies have shown that everybody plans to travel at least once a year, and this article aims to discuss the tips on how to make the best plans this holiday.
Decide where to go. In order to make a decision on where to go this holiday, we should always consider our personal preference, the amount of time we have, and our budget. The more time and budget you have the further and longer you can go with your holiday. But it all starts with your personal preference.
Shop around. The next thing you should do is to look for the best holiday deals in your local agents or online. The best deals usually include the best airfare deal and hotel accommodation packages. Some people like prefer travel agencies to get the best holiday deal for them while others like to go online or scout around and book their air tickets and hotel rooms themselves.
A good way to look for cheap airfare is going online in the internet and through newspapers. You can find a lot of great airfare packages for people who are traveling on a tight budget out there. Sometimes Airline companies also offer promotions that can be competitive with cheap airfares offered by the budget airlines. Other offers also fall on a seasonal basis. The best way to keep track of these promotions is to check the internet for the airlines’ website daily. Airlines usually update all their promotions on their official website.
To find cheap hotel room, it is advisable to get recommendations from friends who have visited the place you wished to go before. There are also some websites that rate hotel rooms in different countries. These websites will show the locations of the hotels, prices, highlights, their rankings, as well as the some testimonials of recent customers.
After successfully booking a flight or travel package, the next best thing for us to do is to start doing researches and look for things to do in that country. Travel guides (books, videos, etc) can also be very helpful in showcasing some must-sees, must-gos, and must-do things, places, and events in your preferred vacation spot.
After all the planning, all we have to do next is enjoy our holidays!
What exactly are holistic therapeutic holidays?
Holistic healing holidays focus on the overall well-being of people. Mind, entire body and spirit are given the chance to be rejuvenated, renewed and healed in beautiful natural surroundings.
Leading holistic restoration journey operators look after every detail of the trip, allowing guests to completely relax and unwind in the knowledge they are in the hands of professionals.
Popular holistic holiday options consist of hot springs, luxury spas and spiritual retreats to South Africa’s sacred spaces – the Drakensberg, the Hogsback, the Richtersveld and the Karoo.
Alternative healing in the Karoo
Professional holistic healing tour operators offer travel to intriguing desert destinations in the Karoo. Regional education, lots of rest and relaxation and guided appointments to the area’s points of interest all form the main schedule.
Situated in the warm interior of the country and composed of 35% of South Africa’s land mass, the Karoo is a vast semi-arid desert.
The dry, climate carrying the pungent aroma of healing herbs is a famous natural remedy for respiratory ailments. Wide open spaces, starry nights, silence and isolation all mix to create a potent elixir for the tired mind, body and soul.
Karoo attractions
The Karoo is an area of haunting beauty, with the horizons stretching for as far as the eye can see. Although it is a harsh land, it sustains a remarkable amount of wildlife, as well as the wealthiest collection of desert flora on the planet.
The wilderness is occasionally interrupted by enchanting Karoo towns that have largely remained authentic and untouched over the years. Original Cape Dutch and Victorian architecture abounds and museums and national monuments provide an historical account of early colonial life.
Bushmen rock art
As the traditional domain of the Bushmen, the Karoo is a substantial ancient rock art site. Images in ochre remain on the rock faces of numerous of the caverns and overhangs in the area. Resident experts are on hand to help you through one of the world’s largest al fresco art displays!
Finding a holistic healing holiday to the Karoo
By browsing online, you’ll find specialist travel operators offering holistic healing holidays to the Karoo. Don’t start the new year exhausted and in a negative frame of mind. Book a refreshing, healthy Karoo holistic healing holiday online today!